


Estelle and the Nutcracker

by PerkyGoth14



Category: Barbie - All Media Types, Barbie in The Nutcracker (2001)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2015-06-16
Packaged: 2018-04-04 17:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4146876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerkyGoth14/pseuds/PerkyGoth14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Estelle joins her new dance class for the Christmas show of The Nutcracker, however when the girls get new dance shoes, Estelle's transport her to the past of the original Clara and the Nutcracker, including the menacing Mouse King who has kidnapped her Aunt Cherry and is trying to make her into his Mouse Queen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was close to the Christmas season, Felicity, Estelle, and Eloise were going to a dance studio, their parents thought it would be good for all of them to take ballet lessons. While they were there, they were all talking and trading stories with each other until their class would start, they were still dressed in their street clothes until their teacher would come. There was a little girl who seemed to be a little lost as she was walking around, wearing her blonde hair down, and had a pink short-sleeved shirt with white shorts and light pink shoes. 

"Hello, can we help you?" Estelle asked the blonde hair girl.

The girl looked to them and blinked a little shyly.

"It is okay, you do not have to be scared by us..." Felicity soothed.

"We can be your new friends," Eloise said, friendly with anyone new she would meet, especially if they were a kid around her age group. "I'm Eloise, I'm six!"

The girl blinked. "I'm Kelly..." she whispered.

"Nice to meet you, Kelly, I'm Estelle and this is my cousin, Felicity." Estelle introduced herself and her cousin.

"H-Hi..." Kelly greeted a little nervously and shyly. "Do you guys go to my school?"

"I am sorry, Kelly," Felicity said soothingly to the girl still. "We do not."

"Oh..." Kelly frowned. "Well... I guess we can all be friends."

"Oh, that would be absolutely lovely!" Eloise beamed.

Kelly looked to Eloise. "You seem familiar... Haven't I seen a magazine with your picture on it with a woman for France once?"

"That's my mother!" Eloise chirped. "Mommy and I go to Paris all the time!"

"That's right, your mother is Darla Fudo, related to famous detective: Atticus James Fudo." Kelly said.

"That's my father." Estelle said.

"Sorry that I am not famous like my relatives..." Felicity said softly.

"What do your parents do, Felicity?" Kelly asked.

"My papa is an organist and my maman does not talk about her work often..." Felicity gave a shrug. "She has met a lot of interesting people though..."

A young adult woman walked over to the girls. "Hello, girls."

"Hello, ma'am." the girls greeted.

"Hi, Barbie." Kelly greeted, slightly blushing.

The woman, Barbie, giggled. "Yes, some may know me as that... I have your ballerina leotards and tights ready so we can preform our show for your friends and families this winter." she gestured to the dance clothes for them.

"I hope we do really great, ma'am." Estelle said, politely.

"I'm really nervous..." Kelly shuffled her feet.

"Don't worry, Kelly," Barbie soothed her younger sister. "You'll have your new friends here with you. Try not to dwell on your worries..."

The girls then went to get changed, they wore their old shoes on the first trip, but Kelly already had slippers. Barbie got them all settled and let them practice Swan Lake for their big Christmas show. Kelly was still very nervous, Barbie decided to stop and have a talk with her about her stage fright.

"Um, Barbie, where do we get the ballet shoes?" Estelle asked.

"Someone should be coming by with them any minute now," Barbie assured her. "I made a nonstop delivery for today, so whoever's going to come with them should be here soon."

"My maman told me when she was younger she could not tie ballet slippers," Felicity said as she stared at her black boots. "She wore her sneakers." 

Eloise couldn't help but giggle to that and smiled. "This is great, I'll get to be a real ballerina! Oh, I hope Mommy can come to the show..." she sighed a little. "I miss her so much..."

"I'm sure she'll come to the show." Estelle said.

Barbie continued to soothe Kelly, then heard a knock at the door and went to answer it. "Yes?" 

"Shoe delivery..." a kindly old woman with ivory hair and ruby-red lips walked over with a box and set it down, then gave Barbie a clipboard to sign. "Sign here, please."

"Certainly." Barbie nodded and signed it.

The elderly woman looked at the girls and smiled at them. The girls smiled back as friendly as they could.

"Felicity," the woman read the first name, having a glimmer in her eye, appearing from nowhere. "That's a lovely name, child..."

"Papa said he named me after a very special woman in his life..." Felicity explained, referring to her long deceased paternal grandmother.

"Your papa sounds like a nice man..." the woman smiled back, she gave the slippers to her. "Eloise?"

"That's me!" Eloise beamed as she took her shoes and went off.

"And... Ah... Estelle..." the woman smiled as she took out the last pair of slippers.

"That would be me, ma'am." Estelle said before she took her shoes.

The woman smiled and gave her the shoes, they seemed to glow for now, but they stopped after she slipped them on. Barbie put on the music and had the girls practice for their little show. Kelly was doing better than earlier, but she still was a little rusty, she was just afraid of stage fright. Eloise seemed like a natural. Felicity wasn't perfect, but did well for a beginner. And for Estelle, she was doing magnificent and then her shoes began to glow again, transporting her to the past.

Barbie decided to comfort Kelly about her stage fright.

"W-What happened to Estelle?" Eloise looked a little worried.

"Sacre bleu, she has vanished!" Felicity gasped.

Barbie looked to the scene in slight worry. "Oh, dear..." she put a hand to her mouth. "What happened?"

"Those ballet shoes Estelle got must have been magical ballet shoes." Eloise guessed.

"They were..." the delivery woman walked over with a small smile. "I sense good in her heart and I thought it would be good use... I'm sorry, I didn't mean for her to be transported so quickly."

"You look very familiar, ma'am...." Felicity said to her. "Who are you?"

The woman gently patted her on the head. "A secret for now, but we are closer than you think, Felicity."

"How do you know my name?"

"Let's just say we're related..." the woman winked to her.

"Can't we get her back?" Eloise frowned.

"She will come back, but only after Barbie tells you the story about The Nutcracker." The old lady said.

Barbie agreed, she held Kelly close and decided to it as Eloise and Felicity sat down to heat the story as well. "You see, Clara lost her parents when she was very young. She and her little brother Tommy were being raised by their Grandfather Drosselmayer. He loved them, but he was very stern..." she started to narrate the story.


	2. Chapter 2

The scene changed to a different room and is where Estelle appeared.

"What the... Where am I?" Estelle asked.

There was a girl with long blonde hair in a pink dress. She looked behind her and saw Estelle and walked over to her. "W-Who are you...?" she asked, a little unsure. "Are you one of Aunt Drosselmeyer's friends?"

"Um, n-no, my name is Estelle, I don't know how I got here." Estelle said.

The girl looked curious of how that was. "Well... My name's Clara," she offered a friendly smile. "Welcome to our home."

Estelle smiled to her, she was worried on the inside, but making a new friend kind of calmed her down. "Thank you, um... Clara..."

Clara smiled back, then jolted once a sharp male voice called. "Candles, we need more candles! Clara, please, no more daydreaming. We have to finish decorating before our guests arrive."

"Yes, Grandfather," Clara gave a small, polite nod to him, she then looked to her new friend. "Want to help?"

"Of course, sounds like your grandfather might need all the help he can get." Estelle said.

Clara took Estelle to a box and she opened it up, she smiled once she saw a ballerina figure.

"It's beautiful, Miss!" a maid smiled to the girl.

"Mother gave this to me the Christmas I saw my first ballet." Clara smiled at her memory as she hung the figure onto the tree. 

The maid found biscuits half-eaten and looked alarmed. "Oh dear!" she cried out. "The mice have found their way into the Christmas boxes!"

"Looks like it could be mice or just a younger sibling eating them." Estelle guessed.

The words 'younger sibling' made Clara think and she smirked to the maid. "You haven't seen Tommy, have you?" she looked behind the sofa.

There was a boy there who must have been Tommy, he was in fact eating the biscuits.

Clara took one away from him, making him snap at her. "Mystery solved. You might want to wash off that frosting before the mice take a bite out of you."

"You can't tell me what to do!" Tommy hissed at her.

"Yes she can, she's your older sister," Estelle said. "And besides, shouldn't you wait until after dinner to have a cookie?"

Tommy snorted, folding his arms.

"I'm sure Grandfather will insist on a bath." Clara smirked to her brother.

This sent Tommy running.

The door opened and Clara was very thrilled of who had come this time. "Aunt Drosselmeyer!" she beamed, running to the woman and hugged her tight.

"Clara..." the woman hugged her, smiling. "You're at least a head taller..." she then noticed Estelle. "Um, who's this?"

"This is my new friend, Estelle, she actually doesn't know where she came from." Clara explained to her favorite relative.

"Actually, I was right in the middle of my ballet dance class and then me my cousins and our new friend, Kelly got our ballet dancing shoes and then we started to dance to practice for the real thing as we were going to be performing in front of everyone and then I appeared in this house." Estelle explained as best as she could.

"How unusual..." Aunt Drosselmayer didn't think Estelle was crazy, she was wondering how that was even possible, but she didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings by her story. 

"Aunt Drosselmayer travels around the world," Clara told Estelle. "She can tell us stories."

The woman nodded and decided to tell them one of them, hoping to make Estelle feel more comfortable around here. 

"I'd appreciate it, Elizabeth, if you'd stop filling Clara's head or her new friend's heads with your stories," the grandfather nearly snorted. "Just because you go traipsing all over the globe rather than stay put like a sensible person."

"There's a world full of wonders out there, Uncle, and Clara deserves to experience them. Your guests are waiting," Aunt Drosselmayer told him, making him go to the door for more guests. "Some people never change. But we can always hope." she then went to continue telling stories to Clara and Estelle.

These stories seemed like they were adventures in their own way, including fantasy as she mentioned that she even met a prince.

"I'm sorry I don't have a present for you, Estelle." Aunt Drosselmayer said as she took out presents for Tommy and Clara. 

"That's okay, ma'am... It's nice to meet you anyway." Estelle said with a smile, she didn't need a Christmas present anyway, she wasn't a member of this family. 

"A nutcracker!" Clara loved her present. "Thank you, Aunt Elizabeth!"

Tommy wrinkled his nose. "He sure looks ugly."

"Tommy!" Clara glared at her younger brother.

"Well on the outside, maybe," Aunt Drosselmayer tried to soothe Clara. "But inside beats the heart of a Prince."

"Yeah, it isn't what's on the outside that counts, it's what's on the inside." Estelle said.

"Then I'll use him to command my army!" Tommy snatched the nutcracker from his sister.

"Hey!" Clara whined, trying to keep it from him.

The two kept fighting and this caused for the Nutcracker's arm to break off.

Tommy looked at what they had done. "Sorry..."

Clara looked to him, a little hurt and angered. "You're... Impossible!" she stormed off and sat on the couch with her nutcracker.

"Do you need help fixing him?" Estelle asked her new friend.

"If you want to..." Clara said to her softly.

Estelle sat next to her, deciding to help.

Clara smiled, she felt lucky to have found and met this girl. "Please don't be too angry with Tommy," she told the doll, even if she knew it wouldn't answer back. "I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you."

"Maybe we can use something to hold his arm up like what they do to soldiers' arms when they're injured." Estelle suggested.

Clara and Estelle set to work as the party was going.

To Estelle's surprise, one of her 'uncles' appeared. "Uncle Forte?"

"Hello, Estelle..." Forte greeted, a little surprised to see her as well.

"You guys know each other?" Clara sounded shocked. 

"I'm sorry to intrude, I'm just looking for someone and need help..." Forte said.

Aunt Drosselmayer knew Forte as well. "Charles, what brings you here?"

"I'm looking for my wife, Elizabeth."

"Wait, Aunt Cherry is here too?" Estelle asked. "And how do you two know each other?"

"I've met Charles when I visit England once," Aunt Drosselmayer smiled. "He was a little lost and alone, so I decided to take care of him until he was ready to go back out. We were almost married..."

"What happened?" Clara asked.

"We just had some differences... Estelle, have you seen your aunt?" Forte asked, assuming his wife might be here if Estelle was.

Estelle shook her head apologetically. "Sorry, Uncle Forte..."

Forte heaved a sharp sigh. "That's alright... I don't know what happened, I saw her before we went to bed, but something happened and she was gone without a word... It's not like her to leave without telling me."

"I'm sure Aunt Cherry will turn up soon." Estelle soothed.

Forte helped the girls and soon enough, the nutcracker was all fixed.

"Oh, thank you, sir!" Clara beamed.

"Anytime..." Forte smiled to her. 

Clara smiled, she then decided to play with Estelle until they would get tired. Estelle and Clara seemed to already be fast friends as they began to play together.

The girls had a lot of fun, they tuckered themselves out and seemed to fall asleep on the couch together. The grandfather and aunt discussed about Clara of how responsible and friendly she had grown to be and was raised well after the tragic disappearance of her parents. 

The girls were asleep and unaware of what was happening around them as it was just like any other night, but once midnight struck, it seemed as though magic had been blessed in the house as the nutcracker came to life and there were mice with weaponry unleashed. That could not have been a normal occurrence. All of this, of course, wouldn't go unheard as it all seemed to only cause for the girls to hear it all and for them to wake up.

It looked as though Clara's nutcracker were alive and was fighting the mice like a brave and heroic prince.

"We must be dreaming..." Clara murmured.

Estelle rubbed her blue eyes. "That is not normal... And I've seen a lot."

There came an evil mouse that had a crown on its head like a king. "Even as a nutcracker, you're a thorn in my side!"

"And I thorn to you I shall remain!" the nutcracker retorted, dropping a box on the evil mouse, but not squashing it.

"It's time I turned you into something more useful!" the Mouse King turned his scepter into an axe. "Like kindling!"

"Oh dear, he's going to kill him, we have to help." Estelle said.

"Not in my house..." Clara took a vase as she stood with Estelle.

The Mouse King looked to the girls, sneering at them, he decided to use them too. "I'm not letting tall humans push me around..." he grinned darkly as he waved his scepter, reciting a shrinking spell. "'Meddling humans, towering tall, make my scepter shrink you small'!"

"Look out!" the nutcracker called.

It was too late, the girls were shrunk in size and were now the size of the mice and the tree looked so huge compared to them now. This was alarming and overwhelming for the girls.

"This is not good..." Clara whimpered.

"Not so fearless now, hmm?" the Mouse King taunted them.

"*gulps* Listen, you shouldn't be here, Clara's grandfather is here and when he sees you and your rat friends, he going use the broom and shoo you all out into the cold!" Estelle threatened the best way she could.

"I'd like to see him try..." the Mouse King grinned evilly.

The nutcracker kicked him away, looking menacing to him, but gentle with the girls. "Can you make it up to the mantle?" he asked them.

"There is no way," Clara declined. "We're staying right here."

The mice suddenly came closer.

"I think we're better off on the mantle!" Estelle said, she then noticed garland and decided to climb it. "Come on, Clara!"

Clara gasped and went with her to avoid the bad mice. The mice seemed to be more vicious to them at this size, so avoiding them was a smart thing to do.

"You've got nowhere to run, Nutcracker," the Mouse King taunted as he got the nutcracker on the floor really close to the fireplace. "You're not going to get away from me this time. Unless you'd like to feed the fire..." he grinned darkly. He turned his scepter into a bow without the arrow and aimed it at the wooden hero.

"Nutcracker!" Clara called.

The nutcracker looked up to see the girls.

"Hey, up here!" Estelle also called. 

Clara took off one of her shoes and threw it at the Mouse King, but this made the garland slip about to take the girls down with it. The girls gripped to it and they hit the mice, sending them away for now with the knocked out Mouse King.

"Well, that's one way of taking out an army of mice." Estelle said, getting up and then helped Clara up.

"Thank you for saving my life," the nutcracker told the girls. "And for your superior nursing skills."

"Uh, you're welcome," Clara smiled. "Maestro nursed you though..."

Estelle looked around. "Is this a dream?"

"I'm afraid it's all too real," the nutcracker told the girls. "And I've got to return home to Parthenia while I have the chance."

"Can we go with you?" Estelle asked.

"Could you also change us back?" Clara added.

"I'm afraid only the Sugarplum Princesses can reverse the Mouse King's spell." the nutcracker informed her.

"Sugarplum Princesses?" Clara and Estelle asked together.

"Yes, I've been trying to find them since the Mouse King turned me into a nutcracker." he explained to them.

"Oh dear, well then, do you mind us helping you find them?" Estelle asked.

"That would be acceptable." Nutcracker replied.

"I don't think so..." Clara didn't sound like she was up for an adventure.

"Perhaps I can help," an owl advised to them, even Clara could understand it. "You will find the Sugarplum Princess on an island, across the Sea of Storms."

"But it's impossible to cross the Sea of Storms." Nutcracker replied in defense.

"It's dangerous, yes, but not impossible."

Nutcracker nodded. "Come on, Clara.... Surely you don't want to spend the rest of your life the size of a mouse?"

Clara agreed now, but was worried. "But, how would we get back?"

The owl took the locket from the ballerina figure on the tree and gave it to the girls. "Once you've found the Sugarplum Princesses, open the locket, and you will return home your normal size."

Clara was still unsure, but since Estelle was going, she decided to go along too.

"Thank you, Miss Owl." Estelle said to the owl.

The owl nodded to her, then froze back into place. Nutcracker walked with Estelle and Clara, but once they came through the mouse hole, they fell through a colorful portal which took them from this world to a whole other one. They all yelled a little as they were falling and once they left the portal, they fell into an ice cave. Luckily, they weren't hurt.


	3. Chapter 3

"Where are we?" Clara asked as she looked around.

"Must've taken a wrong turn back there," Nutcracker said as he looked through the snow, not noticing that his hand was gone again. "Where did my sword go?"

"Oh, here it is," Estelle said, seeing his sword next to her when she pulled it out of the snow, she saw that it was attached to his separate arm. "Um..."

"Sorry," Nutcracker said, attaching his hand back in place. "That happens a lot."

A sparkle then appeared out of nowhere.

"A firefly?" Clara blinked in surprise.

"No, a snow fairy." Nutcracker explained, friendly.

"A real fairy?" Estelle asked, surprised of actually seeing a real fairy.

The Snow Fairy appeared out of the sparkle, giggled, and then bumps into Nutcracker. Her wing is bent, she tries to fly up but can not. She begins to shout in her own way at Nutcracker.

"Well, I'm sorry, but you should have been more careful." Nutcracker told her apologetically.

"Here, we'll fix this right up..." Clara took the snow fairy, deciding to fix the damaged wings.

The fairy felt secure and flew out, smiling its thanks for her.

"That's better, can you help us find a way out of here?" Estelle asked the fairy, nicely.

The snow fairy assembled more fairies. Before they went anywhere, the snow fairies decided to show them a little dance and as they finished their little dance, they flew through a wall and made an exit for them. 

"I guess that was their thank you." Nutcracker shrugged.

"Where'd they go?" Clara asked.

"Must be making a blizzard somewhere." Estelle shrugged.

"You're probably right." Nutcracker said to her, then walked them out of the cave.

The girls looked in awestruck as they walked out of the cave and saw a very beautiful land with natural beauty in the village.

"Welcome to Parenthia." Nutcracker welcomed the girls to his land, it didn't even feel cold despite being winter and the trees had a very sweet exotic smell.

"This place looks so amazing." Estelle said, looking at the entire area out of amazement.

"It's so beautiful," Clara smiled. "The snow isn't even cold. The trees smell like peppermint. And I've never seen a sky so blue."

"It'll all be a memory if the Mouse King has his way." Nutcracker told them gravely.

"And you're sure the Sugarplum Princesses can help?" Estelle asked him as they walked along.

"They're our only hope of defeating him." Nutcracker gave a nod as they walked.

Little did they know, a certain fruit bat had been hiding among a tree and listening in to them. "Hmm... Interesting..." he chuckled and flew away to report to a castle that belonged to the Mouse King. He just knew that the Mouse King was going to want to hear this.

The Mouse King was visiting an ice chamber and walked out to it and clung to the bars as he looked down to see his newest prisoner as he made her sit on an ice cube. "Make a decision, my Queen?"

"I told you a million times already!" Cherry snapped, folding her arms, revealing she had been kidnapped as well and was held prisoner for marriage, how cliche. "I said no!"

"You aren't going to leave this castle until you agree to be my queen." The Mouse King said.

"Oh, I'm getting out of here..." Cherry glared up at him. "My husband's probably on his way as we speak..."

"Oh, please, he doesn't even know where you are." The Mouse King retorted.

"You'll never earn my love..." Cherry hissed.

The Mouse King snarled at her, he didn't trust her alone right now, so he pulled her by the arm and made her come with him.

The bat flew in just then.

"Well, what news do you bring?" the Mouse King glared to the flying rodent.

"I wish I could remember, but I'm so hungry... I feel weak, no faint..." the bat fell to the floor, and looked up, wondering if his story was being bought.

"For the record, I don't wish to have children..." Cherry folded her arms, glancing to the Mouse King, mocking him with his choice of minions.

The Mouse King just glared at her and then looked at the bat, knowing that he had to feed the bat to hear what news he had to bring. "You insolent little brat!" he snapped. "I should turn you into a ceiling fan!"

"That would be a shame," the bat bribed. "Then I couldn't tell you the juicy bit of gossip I overheard." 

The Mouse King growled and threw down a silver platter with various fruits down on the floor. The bat felt fortunate and gobbled them all up, except for one banana. The Mouse King now just rolled his eyes, sighing out of annoyance of the bat.

"Thank you very much, Your Most Royal Majesty. May I say you're looking specially regal this evening, Sir, as your future fiancee is just as well." the bat said first.

The Mouse King smirked while Cherry rolled her eyes at that. 

"Er, right... For starters, Nutcracker's back." the bat then said, trying to protect himself against any anger his master may have towards him.

"What, here!?" the Mouse King snapped.

"And he's got a couple of girls with him," the bat continued. "Don't know where they came from."

"I do." The Mouse King said, feeling the bump on his head from the girls.

Cherry wasn't sure who these girls were, but they gave her a little bit of hope.

"Now here comes the good part," the bat still spoke. "They're looking for a couple of Sugarplum Princesses who can, supposedly, defeat... you. Err... According to the Nutcracker."

"Sugarplum Princesses?" the Mouse King sneered at the title. "I've never heard of a Sugarplum Princess. Bring me the royal registry. And bring me the Nutcracker." he added the last bit sharply. 

The mice nodded to him and went to do his dirty work.

The Mouse King then shoved Cherry back to her prison until she agreed to the deal. "And as for you, you stay right here!" he made her sit on the ice cube again. "Anything you wish to ask me?" he grinned, hoping one of them would be if he would release her and she would agree to the engagement.

"Yeah," Cherry looked at him, colder than the winter snow. "Why am I sitting on an ice cube!?"

"Just so then you can think about the correct answer and as soon as you get the correct answer, you can be free from this prison." The Mouse King said.

"Do your worst..." Cherry narrowed her eyes to him.

The Mouse King sneered at her and locked her inside yet again.

Cherry had a small sigh, even though she didn't need to eat to survive anymore, she still ate occasionally, more than Forte would anyhow, she then felt her stomach was weakly growling, she hadn't eaten in a couple of weeks now and now seemed like a good time to fill her stomach, but it seemed unlikely she would eat for a while.


	4. Chapter 4

Meanwhile...

"It's what's left of the Gingerbread Village," Nutcracker told the girls as they came to a nearly dying part of the world. "The Mouse King's work, no doubt. I didn't know things had gotten this bad."

"We just have to find the Sugarplum Princesses and they'll defeat him." Estelle said.

Clara found a doll and smiled, she decided to take it. A horse was suddenly heard as well that looked alarmed.

"Steady," Clara soothed the horse. "We won't hurt you."

There were snowballs thrown, which alarmed the Nutcracker. "It's an ambush! Take cover!"

"Wait, I don't think we need to worry." Estelle said.

The three looked up and there was a blonde boy in a gingerbread man like outfit and a girl in what looked like peppermint base.

"It's alright, they're just children," Nutcracker calmed down until one of the snowballs hit his hat off. "With very good aim."

"Clara, I think that girl wants her doll back." Estelle suggested.

"We found this," Clara showed the doll to the kids. "Is she yours?"

"Patty!" the peppermint girl ran over and hugged her doll once she had it back.

"What happened here?" Estelle asked the peppermint girl.

"We went out with Marzipan to gather candle berries." the peppermint girl started.

"We came back and everything..." the gingerbread boy added.

"...and everyone..."

"...were gone!"

"It was the Mouse King's army!"

"This is all Prince Eric's fault!" the gingerbread boy scowled.

"Prince Eric?" The girls asked, not knowing who Prince Eric was.

"The son of the King who ruled before the Mouse took over." Nutcracker explained to them.

"Yeah, but he wasn't much of a prince." the gingerbread boy pouted.

"The King left his throne and the golden scepter to his Royal Adviser." the Nutcracker continued.

"The mouse." the peppermint girl added in.

"Until the Price could prove himself worthy." 

"Let me guess, the mouse decided he liked being king, but what happened to Prince Eric?" Estelle asked, she wasn't as advanced, but used her detective knowledge from her father to help this case.

"Don't know, don't care." the gingerbread boy scoffed.

"We're better off without him." the peppermint girl added.

"It's dangerous here," Nutcracker said. "We'll travel together until we can find you a safe home."

"Agreed, let's just hope the Mouse King hasn't found out that we're here yet." Estelle said.

The mice tried to get to a pink horse with golden mane as it escaped. 

"There they are!" one mouse called. "Come on!"

"Come on, into the woods!" Clara called before they escaped to the forest, they couldn't get captured.

"Let's hope that those mice are too scared to go into the forest." Estelle hoped.

"They're getting closer!" the peppermint girl cried as they kept running, the mice kept chasing them with no such luck of being scared.

A rope-ladder hung down and there was a figure.

"Up here!" the figure called.

"Get them!" one of the mice yelled out.

Nutcracker let the others go first before he did and the figure put the rope-ladder away once he was with them.

"Is everyone alright?" Nutcracker asked.

Clara looked frozen once they were surrounded by armed villagers. "I'm not really sure."

"I think we have company." Estelle said, scared.

"Well, what do we have here?" one man who looked like a guard asked sharply.

"A wooden spy?" the other man, who looked like a prince, snorted. "Some new kind of Mouse King trap?"

"Kidnappers as well..." the man suggested, looking to the sweet kids.

"No, they helped us!" the peppermint girl cried.

"If you have nothing to hide, you won't mind answering a few questions." one man said firmly.

"Come children," the guard man said to the peppermint girl and gingerbread boy. "Marsha will take care of you... Let's start with who you are and what you're doing here."

"I'm Nutcracker, these are Clara and Estelle," the wooden man introduced. "We're all victims of the Mouse King's magic."

"He's telling the truth." Estelle added. 

The villagers then gasped as soon as they saw the pink ballet shoes that Estelle was wearing.

"It was told to me by Prince Eric himself so we can find the Sugarplum Princesses." Nutcracker added.

"HA! Prince Eric!? He's the reason we're in this mess. If it weren't for that reckless boy, the Mouse King wouldn't be turning everyone into knick-knacks." one of the men scoffed.

"You make the Prince sound awful." Estelle frowned.

Awful? That's a compliment. He was useless, lazy, and irresponsible..." the other man laughed.

"Major Mint, you're forgetting that Prince Eric was my friend." the guard reminded the other.

"Captain Candy, you're forgetting that I am your superior," the other man retorted to him. "I had high hopes for that boy. Oh, no matter. I've got more important things to think about, like... keeping what's left of our subjects safe from the Mouse King!"

This guy seemed to think that he was better than the guard, at least that's what Estelle thought.

"Then perhaps you should be looking for the princesses as well." Clara told Mint.

"I don't have time to search for some 'Sugarpies'... Well, whatever." Mint scoffed.

"Sugarplum." the girls corrected him.

"Imaginary Princesses." Mint spat at them. 

"Wait, Major!" Candy called out. "They may be telling the truth. I once overheard the King telling Prince Eric about these powerful Princesses. The King himself believed in their magic. And we've tried everything else to defeat the mouse."

"Do you know they are?" Mint asked the group, now starting to believe them.

"We've learned they're on an island, across the Sea of Storms." Nutcracker informed of what the owl told them at Clara's place.

"Oh, very well, we'll all go looking for the Sugarplum Princesses," Mint agreed, on one condition. "But I'll be in charge of the expedition!"

"Of course." Nutcracker agreed.

"Alright." Estelle said.

"Do you know what became of Prince Eric?" Candy asked.

"The Mouse King destroyed him." Nutcracker replied gravely. 

Clara and Estelle looked worried, but they were willing to face this Mouse King and bring him down so Parenthia won't have to live in fear anymore. 

Overtime, Cherry looked and became more and more hungry, she also couldn't sense a drop of blood she could willingly feed on someone for miles. And then her door opened and someone brought her some food and also a live mouse. Cherry looked up, a little flinchy and twitchy, she nearly looked more like an animal herself than the mice who trapped her here did. She came from the cube as the plate was placed down in front of her, she didn't care what the food was, she could eat anything, she viciously devoured the platter, not even thanking whoever gave it to her.

"You're welcome, I'm sorry I can't free you yet, but don't worry, help will come soon." A voice said before leaving her and closing the door.

Cherry blinked at the friendly gesture, but she kept eating. She still felt hungry after she ate, she caught the door before it closed and overheard the Mouse King talking with his lackeys.

"So, you're telling me that the Nutcracker, a wooden utensil, managed to escape a well-armed fighting squadron unharmed? And instead of fleeing into the hills, you chose to return to me and report your incompetence..." the Mouse King taunted them for their failed assignment.

"Uh-huh..." one mouse squeaked.

The other one gulped, frightened of what he would do to them.

"Why don't you just blast 'em with your scepter, Sire?" the bat suggested.

The Mouse King turned his scepter into a sword, but before he could do anything, he saw Cherry lunge over and eat the mice, swallowing them whole after she had taken their blood, she wiped her mouth and felt better, now more full. Such violence.

"That works too." the Mouse King smirked.

The bat was more afraid of Cherry now than he used to be. Cherry wiped her mouth from the blood and picked her teeth with one of the bones. She also hoped this would make the Mouse King afraid of her and he would forget about trying to marry her.

"You shall still be my wife." The Mouse King said.

"Merde..." Cherry growled, cursing in French under her breath, snapping the bone in half with her bare hand.

"Now... I must find out about these Sugarplum Princesses..." the Mouse King went to his shelf, taking out a book. 

"Who?" Cherry asked, not even looking alarmed when she plucked out a severed ear from her mouth, she tossed it over to Pimm to scare off the fruit bat.

"The Sugarplum Princesses," the Mouse King repeated. He opened the book and read about the princesses. "'The Sugarplum Princesses: Kind, clever, and brave'..." he then looked quickly disappointed. "That's it?"

"Ooh, scary..." Cherry mocked as she held her full stomach, at least she wasn't forced to sit on an ice cube anymore, at least, not now... 

"Where are they!?" the Mouse King kept looking for an answer, but then dropped the book, angered with it, he then laughed as he now had an idea. "I suppose I'll just have to reduce the Nutcracker to a pile of splinters before he can find them..." he took out his scepter to make another spell to make a rock giant. "'Rock that will walk, destroy whom I seek, carnage and havoc will be yours to wreak!'"

Pimm squeaked, frightened again.

"FIND THE WOODEN MAN AND CRUSH HIM!" the Mouse King demanded.

The rock giant walked away then to do as told. Primm came out of his hiding place to see where it was going.

"Follow him, Pimmie," the Mouse King demanded sharply. "He's a bit rough around the edges and may need some guidance."

"You want me to babysit a rock?" Pimm scoffed.

The Mouse King raised his scepter threateningly.

"Alright, alright, better than being a rock..." Pimm agreed and flew off.

Cherry was about to go with him, but was caught back instantly.

"Oh no, you don't, my dear." The Mouse King said.

Cherry blinked to him, she grabbed one of his whiskers and slowly pulled on it until it plucked right out. 

"OWCH!" the Mouse King held his nose, sniffling, then looked to her. "You're a feisty one, but I won't let you get away..."

Back in the village...

"What about Marzipan?" the peppermint girl asked, worried about the horse.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Clara soothed. "And you'll be staying here with Marsha until we get back."

"Okay?" Estelle added.

"Okay..." the peppermint girl sighed.

"Good night, girls!" the peppermint girl and gingerbread boy called as it was time to set up camp for the night.

"Good night!" The girls called as they went to join Nutcracker.

"Can't sleep?" Clara asked Nutcracker.

"I'm a nutcracker," he told them. "Sleep seems kind of pointless."

Clara and Estelle however found out something about him that no one else really knew.

"You're more than a nutcracker, Prince Eric," Clara said. "Why haven't you told anyone?"

"I-I didn't want to be the price when I had the chance... Now I don't deserve to be." Nutcracker sighed sadly.

"How can you think that?" Estelle asked.

"She's right," Clara agreed. "You're risking your life to save your kingdom. Isn't that what princes do?"

Nutcracker looked at them, still having hurt feelings. "But my subjects think less of me than they do the Mouse King. My only hope is to find the Sugarplum Princesses so they can help me restore my peoples' happiness. I owe them that." he then got up and left the girls alone.

"I just know that he is a true prince, he's just being too hard on himself." Estelle said.

"He's been through so much... We still have to help him..." Clara said as she was getting tired. "Well... I'm gonna go to sleep."

"Okay, good night, Clara." Estelle soothed.

"Good night, Estelle."

"Clara?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think we'll find the Sugarplum Princesses soon?"

"I'm sure of it..."

The girls then got some sleep until the next morning. They next morning they would continue their adventure.


	5. Chapter 5

After waking up, they quickly got back to work. 

"Aha, there's our bridge!" Mint called out.

"Perhaps we should find a safer place to cross." Nutcracker suggested, a little nervous of the bridge.

"Perhaps you should remember who's in charge of this expedition," Mint retorted, going to it anyway, once he got to it, he was a little nervous himself. "No problem at all. Heheh, come along..."

Captain Candy followed after him, but a little trouble made Major Mint stumble and Candy fell himself. 

"Tricky..." Mint said sheepishly.

Clara, Nutcracker, and Estelle looked down as Captain Candy called for help.

"Oh, dear." Estelle said.

Nutcracker held out his hand, but it wouldn't be enough to carry him. 

"Please, hurry!" Captain Candy called still.

Nutcracker gave him his hand, and pulled him out. Major Mint reaches the other end of the bridge, almost falling back due to his heavy backpack. They still had to go, but it wasn't going to be easy. Nutcracker didn't have rope, so his hand would still have to do for now. They made it to the other end of the bridge and Captain Candy took a breath, sitting on the end of a rock. 

"Are you sure you're alright to travel, sir?" Estelle asked softly.

"I'm fine," Captain Candy assured. "Don't worry about me."

"Bad luck about your knapsack," Major Mint frowned. "Now we'll be needing more supplies!"

This caused for Captain and Mint to start arguing, but the girls smiled to Nutcracker.

"That was very brave of you." Estelle said.

"And noble." Clara added.

"Least I could do for an old friend." Nutcracker said to them, a little bit better.

The group then kept going until they reached the Sea of Storms. 

"The Captain and I will make a seaworthy boat, while you two gather supplies." Mint commanded to Clara, Estelle, and Nutcracker before leaving with Captain Candy.

"Girls, come with me." Nutcracker told Estelle and Clara.

"Yes, sir." Estelle said.

"The well used to be over there," Nutcracker walked with them until they found a closed well. "Well, somebody must've capped it."

"I'm sure we all know who." Estelle folded her arms.

Nutcracker took out his sword and opened the well and flower fairies fluttered and flew out instantly. One of them even whispered a 'thank you' to him. "You're welcome," he then said. "The Mouse King's Army destroyed this valley and trapped them in the well."

The flower fairies came to the girls, seeming to be drawn to them somehow. 

"What?" Clara wasn't sure what they were saying or doing.

"They say you're beautiful." Nutcracker smiled. 

"Aw, thank you!" Estelle blushed.

The flower fairies still flew around the girls, making them want to dance with them, and so they did, Estelle of course did her practice for the big show she would hopefully be back in time for.

"This could be perfect practice for the big show, I hope I'll be back in time." Estelle said.

"I hope so too." Clara encouraged her friend.

The flower fairies left after their dance as their dance revived the valley. 

Apples accidentally dropped on Nutcracker's head and one ended up in his hand, reminding him of something. "Supplies!" he gasped. 

The flower fairies really liked the Nutcracker and Clara and they tried to bring them together. This was very sweet until the rock giant finally showed up. 

"Run!" Nutcracker called.

"No problem!" Estelle called back once she started.

Clara and Nutcracker began to follow her as they all were running away from the rock giant. The girls were heard yelling as they came closer to Candy and Mint.

"What're they carrying on about now?" Mint scoffed. "Probably saw a snake or spider or..." 

"Rock giant!" Captain Candy saw why the girls were fleeing for their lives.

"Great Googly!" Major Mint cried.

"There he is!" Pimm told the rock giant, a little impatient with it. "Blimey, I'm blind as a bat and even I can see him!"

"This is bad, this is bad, this is very, very bad!" Estelle cried out.

The rock giant smashed the boat's sail, making Mint very angry as Nutcracker hid behind a stone.

"Why don't you invite him over for tea and cakes while you're at it!?" Captain Candy scoffed.

The rock giant found them as they hid behind a stone and the snow fairies returned and decided to help their new friends and surrounded him. The pink horse with a golden mane appeared again. 

"Look!" Nutcracker called.

"It's Marzipan!" Clara chirped.

"Come on, before the Snow Fairies disappear!" Mint commanded.

They all sat in a cart and went along until the rock giant would disappear and get defeated.

"Go, go, go!" Estelle said, worriedly.

The Sea of Storms had froze and the rock giant was coming closer.

Nutcracker decided to make a crack in the ice, knowing that rocks and water were a bad mix. 

"Nutcracker, what are you doing!?" Estelle cried.

"Don't worry, wood floats, rock doesn't!" Nutcracker assured her.

"Hurry, hurry!" Clara cried.

They disappeared into the fog as the rock giant walked, but ended up in the subzero water. It got very foggy and nearly impossible to see anything now.

"If this fog doesn't lift, we'll never find the Princess's island." Nutcracker moaned.

"And if we don't?" Estelle tried to boost his confidence. "You battled the Mouse Army, rescued Captain Candy, and saved us from a vicious pile of rock! All without the Sugarplum Princesses."

"The Mouse King is too powerful to take on alone," Nutcracker looked to the girls. "Besides, we've gotta find the Princesses if you're to return home your true sizes. That is what you want, isn't it?"

"Of course it is." Estelle said.

Pimm hid behind a rock, he knew the Mouse King wasn't going to like to hear this, but he had to tell the rodent royal no matter what, he heaved a sharp sigh and flew off to the castle to tell him everything. 

"HOLD STILL, YOU CURSED HUMAN WOMAN!" the Mouse King growled, trying to put a crown on Cherry's head as he had her tied up in his chair.

Cherry made a high kick, kicking the queen's crown out of his paws and making it fly in the air and hit one mouse in the head, knocking him out instantly. "I think not..." she murmured angrily.

"Okay, that is it you have forced my hand, woman!" The Mouse King said before bringing out his staff.

Cherry smirked, it looked like he wasn't so eager about marrying him anymore. "Do your worst."

"I will put you under a spell that will make you agree to be my queen." The Mouse King said.

Cherry snorted as though she didn't believe him.

"Um, Sire..." Pimm flew in just then.

The Mouse King sneered at him. "Why must you always interrupt at the worst possible time!?" he scowled, then came to him, leaving Cherry in her trap temporarily. "Well... Is that nutcracker just a pile of tooth picks now?" he grinned eagerly, hoping that the rock giant was able to destroy that wretched nutcracker prince.

Primm was now becoming very nervous of how he should tell the Mouse King. He then finally admitted it, infuriating his boss.

"Nutcracker destroyed the rock!?" the Mouse King snarled. 

"And sent him to the bottom of the sea," Pimm said softly. "Of course he had some help. Major Mint and Captain Candy have joined up."

"Proving their gullible idiots..." the Mouse King wasn't all mad at that. "I've combed through every page of

every book in the Royal Library," he showed a pile of books laying on the floor. "And there's no other mention of any Sugarplum Princesses." 

"Maybe the books are wrong..." Cherry forced out, setting a glare to him. 

Pimm squeaked, no one said the king was wrong and got away with it. The Mouse King glared at her, ready to use a spell on her and didn't even care if it harmed her.

"Oh, please, that magic can't work on me..." Cherry rolled her eyes.

"'Pitiful human, wipe that slate clean, forget your former life and become my Queen'." the Mouse King recited waving his scepter.

"What a load of bull--" Cherry scoffed, then looked stunned as the scepter zapped her. "Yes, my King... What can I do for you?"

"Will you marry me and become my queen?" The Mouse King asked, already knowing that she would say yes.

"Yes..." Cherry said, hypnotized as she held out her black nail polished hand.

The Mouse King laughed wickedly as he placed the crown over her head.

"Sire, may I ask, why do you want to marry that human woman?" Pimm asked softly. "She doesn't look very kind or loving... She seems cold as winter... Plus she ate those other mice without even giving them the chance to run away!"

"That is why I need her to be my queen." The Mouse King informed.

Pimm shivered, then muttered under his breath slightly. "And I thought one sadistic tyrant was enough trouble..."

"What was that?" The Mouse King glared at Pimm.

"Uhh... Nothing!" Pimm shook instantly with fear.

"That nutcracker fool still believes in the Sugarplum Princesses," Cherry looked to the Mouse King, now thinking like him due to the spell. "It's all fantasy and fairy tales!"

"Oh, you are an enchanting creature when you agree with me!" the Mouse King smirked at her thoughts and ideas. "But if Nutcracker wants to believe in fairy tales, he's about to find out this one doesn't have a happy ending." He began to chuckle evilly, having an evil plan forming in his brain.


	6. Chapter 6

At the Sea of Storms...

"Weather's getting worse," Mint sighed. "I say we turn back."

"Wait!" Clara and Estelle tried to stop him.

"It's too dangerous! There's been no sign of this mysterious island. Not to mention what's going to happen when this ice starts to melt." 

"Marzipan saw something, I'm sure of it!" Clara insisted, though she couldn't talk to the horse, but one of them could...

"Marzipan, what did you see?" Estelle asked the horse.

"There's land not too far from here..." Marzipan whinnied a response as she kept trotting with them into the fog, not stopping for anything. "It's very beautiful..."

"She says that there's a land not too far from here and that it's beautiful." Estelle translated.

This shocked Clara, Nutcracker, Captain Candy, and Major Mint, knowing that Estelle could talk to animals. Marzipan then took them out behind the fog and showed them the beautiful scenery.

"No time to enjoy the scenery," Major Mint told everybody. "Let's find these Princesses."

"I believe the Nutcracker has earned the right to lead us." Captain Candy told him.

Major Mint was baffled by that. "B-But, he's wood!"

"And the reason we've made it this far."

"I'm only a quarter the reason." Nutcracker said, gesturing to Clara and Estelle.

"*gulps* Well, I think we should follow the path." Estelle said.

Clara and Estelle went with the men, but they were sort of slower, they were looking the locket the owl had given them. They all made it to a castle, though oddly enough, it didn't seem guarded. However, a decoration fell and trapped them except for the girls.

"Gotcha, mates!" Pimm taunted. "Off to the palace!"

"No!" Clara and Estelle cried.

Pimm flew off with the prisoners with other bats, then looked angered. "Wait a minute, where's the girls?" he looked, then shrugged it off. "No way off this island. Unless they're part mermaid." he taunted as he went off with his fellow bats. He began to catch up to the other bats and hoped that the Mouse King wouldn't be angry about the girls not being captured as well.

"We never should have come..." Clara looked very down in the dumps as she sat down with Estelle as they were alone. "What were we thinking? That we were going to find a couple of magical princesses?" she grabbed the locked sadly. 

"Clara, don't worry; things are gonna get better, I know they are..." Estelle assured her calmly.

Clara looked at the locket, feeling depressed and homesick now. "We could always go back home. I'm sure I've got some doll clothes that would fit."

"Clara... Don't think like that..." Estelle put her hand on the girl's hand. "We can't leave."

Clara looked to her. "You're right... We're their only hope... Only, how can we get off this island?"

"Well, I actually can swim..." Estelle got to the water, her legs changing into a tail fin. "Come on, let's swim together..."

Clara was amazed of that, but there was a problem. "I'm sorry, Estelle... I don't know how to swim..."

A flower fairy came along and offered to help Clara while Estelle would swim with her mermaid abilities.

"I think the flower fairy has a way to get you there while I swim." Estelle guessed.

"Looks like that way... Guess I'll meet you at the castle." Clara said.

Estelle saluted, then swam off the best she could while the flower fairy took Clara. Even the gingerbread boy and peppermint girl were going to come. The villagers agreed with them. This news was very troubling, Pimm knew that he just had to tell the Mouse King. 

"More wood..." the Mouse King cackled as he shared wine and cheese with his new Queen. "I want this to be an unforgettable show..." 

Clara saw this once she reached the balcony and came to Estelle just as her legs returned and she came to shore.

"Pimm, all is right in the world, I got the Nutcracker, I have my new queen, and soon my worries will be over." the Mouse King felt very accomplished.

"Well, that ain't really all that true, Sire..." Pimm nearly trembled as he had to tell the mouse this news.

This angered the Mouse King, he had a feeling, as if knowing that this news was not good news.

"It seems your subjects are planning... Umm... An uprising..." Pimm continued, already feeling the pain and torment he was going to be given.

Cherry grabbed Pimm by the throat, making him squeak and wave his wings as she carried her wine glass in her other hand, swooshing the liquid inside of it intensely.

"What?!" the Mouse King snapped. "I want every last villager, fairy, and general trouble-maker rounded up to witness this display of my absolute power!"

"I'll get right on it, Sire..." Pimm squeaked, suffocating a little, unable to break free from Cherry's grasp and she wouldn't let him go. "Ah, Sire, I can't feel my toes..."

"*sighs* You may release him, my queen." The Mouse King said.

Cherry let him go, dropping him on the FLOOR, then sipped her wine.

Clara and Estelle got down and they had met a couple of mouse guards. 

"Oh, there you are!" Clara pretended to had been searching for them. "The King needs you right away in the courtyard. And he said if you didn't hurry, you'd spend the rest of your lives as houseflies... Or was it horseflies?"

The mouse guards looked to each other and ran away, rather cowardly.

"*giggles* Nice one, Clara." Estelle said as she began to try to reach the keys.

Clara and Estelle walked into the room, but it seems as though no one was there.

"Girls!" Nutcracker called.

Clara and Estelle looked around, they heard him, but they couldn't see him.

"What's wrong with the girls?" Major Mint asked.

"We can see her, but she can't see us." Nutcracker realized.

"Or hear us, apparently." Captain Candy added.

"Why would they keep two guards in front of an empty prison cell?" Estelle asked. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"Girls..." Nutcracker gently called.

Clara heard the voice closer, she touched an invisible wall, and saw the Nutcracker's hand. "It's invisible! Hand me something, I have to break it!"

Estelle lifted a torch and decided to smash it, shattering the wall and reuniting Nutcracker and Clara.

"Aw! I hate to ruin this happy reunion, but there's a bonfire in the courtyard." Estelle said.

"She's right." Clara nodded, remembering she had told her.

"I doubt it's to warm up the palace," Nutcracker scoffed. "Plus he's got a queen."

"Great, now we got a King and Queen to bring down." Estelle remarked, not knowing who this queen was, but she was going to help take down the woman if she needed to.

Once they all left the dungeon, they all saw peasants were being forced into the castle.

"Sugarplum Princesses or no Sugarplum Princesses, those rats got to be stopped!" Nutcracker snapped.

"Agreed." Estelle said.


	7. Chapter 7

Nutcracker barged in with Clara and Estelle. It was time for one last fight with the Mouse King and this time, the Mouse King was going to be gone for good. "Is this anyway to run a kingdom, Mouse?"

"Ah, you're just in time for your party..." Cherry smirked as she sipped more of her wine.

"I couldn't have said it better myself." the Mouse King grinned as he lit up the wood to make a huge fire.

"A-Aunt Cherry, you're the Mouse King's queen?" Estelle asked, not believing of what she was seeing.

"You know that woman?" Clara looked to her in shock as Nutcracker went to challenge the Mouse King.

"She's my aunt, she's married to Uncle Forte, the Mouse King must have placed a spell on her." Estelle said.

"There's more to being king than having a crown!" Nutcracker challenged the Mouse King.

"Suddenly you're an expert..." the Mouse King smirked, taunting him. 

Cherry sipped her wine and stepped out of the way to let the prince and king fight, then looked to Clara and Estelle a little nastily. "What are you doing in my king's palace!?"

"We're here to stop him and to help break the spell that the Mouse King has cast on you." Estelle said.

Cherry snorted at her niece. "I'm not under a spell.. It's true love..." she put her hand to her forehead, looking like an overly dramatic actress. She then looked angry as her eyes flashed red. "And your precious nutcracker is ours now!"

This wasn't looking good so far. The Mouse King turned the villagers, even the peppermint girl and gingerbread boy into statues. He then turned himself huge and started to destroy the nutcracker. Both girls were very worried, but Clara was more to him than Estelle was. 

"I'll give you a choice, Nutcracker," the Mouse King taunted. "Dismemberment or barbecue!"

"Aunt Cherry, please snap of the spell, I know that you don't love the Mouse King." Estelle said, hoping she could get through to her aunt.

"LIES, LIES, THEY'RE ALL LIES!" Cherry shrieked.

"Aunt Cherry, please remember of who you are, you're not the Mouse King's queen, you're the wife of Maestro Charles Forte." Estelle said.

This caused for Cherry to hold her head out of pain. Clara was still helping Nutcracker with the Mouse King.

Cherry groaned and hissed, her eyes seemed to flash a laser green color and she shut her eyes tight, shaking her head, then looked around. "Where am I and why does it smell like candy treats!?" she hissed, sounding like her old, snippy, but kind in some areas self, she then looked to see her niece. "Estelle, put on a jacket, it's cold!"

"Yes!" Estelle cheered. "The spell is broken!"

The Mouse King tried to shrink Clara even smaller than she already was. Nutcracker lashed out his sword, making the magic bounce off of it and right back at him, shrinking him very small, even smaller than a normal mouse size. His scepter was even gone now and he tried to get away.

Cherry slammed her hand onto him and dangled him by the tail, similar to Scar. "Life's not fair... Is it?" she taunted as she kept him in her firm hand, looking stoic and rather evil, despite being on the good side. "I know just how you feel sometimes..."

"What are you gonna do to me?" The tiny Mouse King asked, fearing that she might eat him whole.

"Mmm..." Cherry twirled him around in her hand. "I just lost my lunch... So I think you belong where many rats belong..." she then released him into a worse place than her digestive system. "IN THE SEWER!"

"Back where he belongs!" Major Mint remarked.

"Indeed..." Cherry agreed, folding her arms firmly, she picked up the Mouse Queen crown and tossed it over her shoulder.

Clara and Estelle then went to the Nutcracker to see of how he was from the blast of magic. Nutcracker was a little injured due to fighting the Mouse King.

"Oh, poor Nutcracker." Clara frowned.

"Don't worry, Clara, I'm just wood, remember?" Nutcracker assured her that he was fine.

"We know that you're much more than that..." Clara consoled him before giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Prince Eric..."

Cherry saw Clara kiss the nutcracker and she felt sick, she looked to her wine glass and emptied behind a plant, feeling she may have had enough to drink tonight. The nutcracker began to glow after Clara had kissed him. 

Cherry was about to get a new bottle of wine, she bit on the cork, spitting it out, but she then saw the Nutcracker going in the air and glowing. She then looked at her wine, shook her head and dumped it into the sewer where she forced the Mouse King to stay from now on. After glowing for a while, the nutcracker was shown to actually be Prince Eric.

"It's Prince Eric!" Captain Candy called.

"The Prince!?" Major Mint was surprised. "Oh... The Prince..."

Clara and Estelle helped the new prince up, however, when they did, they were starting to have the same magical glow that Nutcracker did and they transformed into something really amazing. They both were transformed into two beautiful princesses.

"Of course, the princesses have been with us all along!" Prince Eric realized.

"What?" the girls weren't sure what he meant.

"Girls, it's you, you're the Sugarplum Princesses!" Prince Eric told them.

"Us?" Clara looked to him. "W-We couldn't be..."

"Yeah, we couldn't be the Sugarplum Princesses." Estelle agreed.

"It all makes sense," Prince Eric concluded. "You saved me from the Mouse King in your parlor, you rescued us from his dungeon, your bravery led to his defeat, and your kiss and comfort has broken his spell, you saved your aunt from the Mouse King's curse, You are the Sugarplum Princesses!"

"Look!" Captain Candy called.

Everybody looked to see the land was changing. The villagers came back to life with the peppermint girl and gingerbread boy, and the bonfire transformed into a fountain. 

"You've broken all the Mouse King's evil enchantments." Prince Eric told the girls. 

"And now you're free to take your rightful place as King." Estelle smiled to him.

"Well, that's for the people to decide." 

"Well, they look happy..." Cherry said, seeing the villagers cheer and chant for the prince.

"Looks like they want you to be their king." Estelle said.

The flower fairies dropped rose petals over Clara, Eric, and Estelle as the people cheered for them. Everybody was dancing, even the peppermint girl and gingerbread boy were together. Major Mint and Captain Candy decided to dance as well. Clara and Eric decided to dance together and Estelle even added in her techniques she learned from Barbie from recital. The flower fairies gave a bouquet of flowers to Clara, feeling very grateful about her and Eric being together. 

"Thank you, friends. As your King, I will let the wise leadership of my father be my guide. None of this would've been possible without you, Clara. Will you stay...and be my Queen?" Prince Eric proposed. "Estelle, you could become Clara's lady-in-waiting."

"Oh my... Well." Estelle answered, not knowing her answer.

"This locket was supposed to take us home," Clara informed. "But, in my heart... I feel like I'm already there..."

"And my shoes brought me here..." Estelle said, feeling like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

Prince Eric looked to Clara and kissed her once again, then looked to Estelle. The shoes didn't seem to do anything as of right now. 

"Aunt Cherry, can you take us home?" Estelle asked the youthful in appearance woman.

"I'm sorry, dear, but without your uncle, I have no idea of how to get everything back..." Cherry said gently, she had bags under her eyes due to the drinking she had been doing lately.

"I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE HAPPY ENDINGS!" the Mouse King was heard, he grabbed the locket from Clara and the shoes from Estelle, running off with them.

"No!" Estelle cried out.

"He's not gonna get away with this!" the peppermint girl snapped.

The snow fairies made a snowball in her hand for her to throw at the bad rat. 

Pimm was flying with the Mouse King, but the snowball made him fly back and it froze the two. 

"Pimm!" the Mouse King hissed. "Flap, you fool!"

Suddenly, Clara and Estelle were disappearing somehow.

Prince Eric didn't want them to go. "Clara! I love you...!"

Cherry was also disappearing, until all three vanished.

Back in the Dance Studio...

"So, if Clara hadn't been brave, she never would've found out she was a Princess..." Kelly told her older sister what she had learned from the story told to her and her new friends.

"That's right." Barbie said with a smile.

"Can you help me practice until I know all the steps?" Kelly asked her new friends.

Eloise and Felicity agreed, but Estelle still wasn't back. And then they saw her appear back in the room, but without her ballet shoes.

"Estelle, you're back!" Eloise ran to the girl.

Felicity noticed something missing. "But what has happened to your shoes?"

"Oh, dear..." Barbie frowned at the sight.

"Don't worry, dear, I just knew that rodent would do that, so I brought her another pair," The old woman said, bringing out another pair of pink ballet shoes. "These have the same magic in them the same as ones you wore they will transport you to a new world everytime, it would seem that you are needed in one of the ballet stories worlds. The magic won't always be used after you've been in one already."

Eloise, Felicity, and Kelly 'oohed'. That was such a big honor.

Jenny Foxworth came in then, carrying her gym bag. "Sorry I'm late, guys, did I miss anything?"

Estelle smiled and rushed to her pen pal happily. "Wait til you hear the story of the Nutcracker."

"Oh, I love that one!" Jenny grew excited. "My mother read it to me every night on Christmas Eve!" 

"Wait until you hear Estelle's story of it." Felicity said with a smile.

"Yeah, because she got to actually experience it herself." Eloise added.

"Ooh, then please tell me." Jenny said, interested, really wanting to hear the story.

Barbie smiled at the girls bonding.

Felicity looked to the older woman. "Merci beaucop for Estelle's gift."

"Soyez le bienvenu, petite Felicity." the woman replied.

Felicity was surprised at her French and that the woman knew her name. "How are you knowing me when we have just met?"

The older woman patted her on the head and hugged her. "Je t'aime, mon petite fille." 

"Granddaughter?" Felicity looked perplexed, then looked back at the woman. "What do you--" she looked and saw this woman had vanished in thin air. "Grandmere..." she whispered to herself quietly.

"What was that, Felicity?" Estelle asked her cousin, not understanding what she said and then saw that the old woman and vanished. "Where did she go?"

Felicity looked back. "Oh, umm... I think she had to get back home now... Let us practice our ballet, shall we?"

Barbie smiled to the girls and settled them all together, they still had a lot to learn by the time of the show.

Felicity looked back distantly. "Merci, Grandmere..." she whispered before joining the girls in their dance.

The girls were going to be ready for the big show, they just knew it. After the girls went home, it was now all up to fate.


	8. Chapter 8

Nanny had some sad news for Eloise as soon as she brought her back to their room in the hotel. She was about to say that the girl's mother wouldn't be able to make it in time, however, their telephone rang.

"Hello?" Eloise answered it first, then smiled instantly. "Hi, Mommy!"

"Hello, dear." Darla said from the other line.

"I can't wait to show you my new dance!" Eloise beamed, she always loved to talk with her mother whenever possible. "You're still coming, right?"

Nannyfrowned, hoping the girl wouldn't be too disappointed.

"Actually yes," Darla answered, surprising both Nanny and Eloise. "I'm actually in a cab right now on the way to the hotel."

"REALLY!?" Eloise beamed, running to the room window and looked down below, looking to see if she could see her mother within the crowd. "Where are you, Mommy?"

Darla chuckled. "I'll be right in the lobby, you probably can't see me right now."

"You got that right, because there's too many people outside to see where you are." Eloise said while trying to find her mother.

Nanny giggled slightly, but she was still surprised Darla was able to make it. After a minute of talking, Eloise happily hung up and pulled on Nanny's arm to take her down to the lobby with her. 

"Eloise's mother is coming... That should keep her busy a while..." Mr. Salamone remarked, a little exhausted with Eloise's daily shenanigans and forced to deal with it on a daily basis.

"Let us hope so, because that girl is driving me crazy!" Prunella remarked as well.

"Hi, Bobby, hi, Bruce." Eloise greeted the twins she knew that weren't Akito and Estelle. 

"How many times do I have to tell you?" the salty twin asked. "He's Bruce, I'm Bobby, he likes you, I don't."

Eloise stuck out her tongue at him. Jenny, Felicity, Kelly, Vincent, Akito, and Estelle came over, looking their best to meet her.

"Ready to go, Eloise?" Kelly asked.

"Not yet, my mommy's coming." Eloise said with a smile to them. 

"Yes, turns out she could make it after all." Nanny added with a smile, feeling thrilled to watch Eloise on stage as a real ballerina tonight.

And just as if to make it all the better, Darla entered the building, looking like she was ready to see her daughter and Nanny.

"There she is now!" Eloise cheered as she looked and saw her mother at the entrance.

Darla walked in, removing her hat to show her lovely curled hair that was always held back from it.

"MOMMY!" Eloise ran up to her and jumped in her open arms. "You made it..." she whispered happily.

Darla hugged her daughter and smiled as she saw everybody again. "It's always great to be back... I believe we have a ballet to go to."

"Erm, yes ma'am..." the man who was a member of the hotel staff who had a crush on Eloise's mother informed bashfully, handing tickets to the blonde woman.

"Why, thank you!" Darla happily took them as she gently set Eloise down on the floor back with her friends.

"I can't wait to see you dance, Jenny." Vincent told the red-haired girl.

"I can't wait for you to see me..." Jenny said softly back. "I'm a little nervous though..."

"Don't worry, you girls will do great." Akito said.

"Thanks, bro." Estelle said.

"Yes thank you, Akito." Eloise added.

"Hey, Eloise, break a leg." Mr. Salamone's nephew said.

"Thanks, Edwin." Eloise was surprised at his wish of good luck.

"No seriously, break a leg!" Edwin huffed.

Eloise looked to him, looking rather angry. 

"Come on, sweetie, you don't need that kind of negativity in your life." Darla coaxed, taking the kids out to make it to the theater so they can preform.

"I wish that Patch was in the lobby, he could have taught that jerk a lesson." Akito said.

"Couldn't agree with you more, bro." Estelle said, hating Mr. Salamone's nephew.

"Madame and Monsieur Forte..." Mr. Salamone greeted the deathly couple just after they reunited.

"Alphonse..." Cherry greeted back.

"You look quite fetching tonight, Madame..." Mr. Salamone looked to see Cherry in a black evening gown with a feathered boa.

"Flattering, Alphonse, but I'm with Charles tonight... I want to show him how much I missed him..." Cherry said, leaning against her husband as they went off together. 

Felicity smiled, her parents were reunited together. This was a burn to Mr. Salamone as he saw Cherry, Forte, and Felicity leave with the others. 

"I can't wait to see you performance, girls, I bet it's going to be magical." Mo said.

"Oh, you have no idea, Mom." Estelle said, remembering her adventure in The Nutcracker.

"Mom, did you ever do ballet?" Akito asked his mother.

"No dear, I was never really into that sort of thing," Mo admitted with a smile. "But I'll be happy to watch you all preform."

Kelly was a little shaken up still, but would feel better whenever she would see her friends. George and Margaret Roberts were there to wish their youngest daughter good luck as they went to sit with Barbie and Kelly's other sister, Skipper as they got to the theater before the others. Eloise always loved to go with her mother, because people would recognize them and cheer for them. Darla took out a video camera, she knew someone would be missing the show tonight and she decided to film it for him, the mysterious man to everyone who was Eloise's father. 

"Be sure to keep steady, don't worry so much if your mother looks to you, she loves you very much and we both wish you the best of luck," Forte told Felicity before taking his seat with his beloved. "Think you can do it?"

"Oui, Papa." Felicity gave a nod.

Forte smiled and sighed as he hugged her. "I do wish your grandmere would be able to meet you and see this day..."

"Actually we got to meet her in our dance class." Felicity said, remembering the old woman that had brought them the ballet shoes.

"How did you know it was her?" Forte asked, amazing with her.

"I do not know..." Felicity shrugged as she held hands with her father. "It was like... I do not know... A micela, Papa..."

"A miracle?" Forte hummed. "I'm not sure myself..."

"Pardon me, but it's time for the girls to get ready." Barbie apologetically interrupted the father and daughter.

"Right... Fliss, be careful out there... We'll be watching..." Forte said as he stood up, looking long down at her.

"Oui, Papa..." Felicity curtsied to him, then went to join her fellow ballerinas.

Forte smiled, he then went off the stage and went to join the people in the seats as the lights went out and the lights shined on the stage as Tchaikovsky's music was playing to summon the girls. Mo took out a camera, recording this moment so then they could remember it forever. Vincent and Akito watched, though Vincent was paying more attention to Jenny than the other dancers, even more than his own sister.

"She reminds me a lot of you..." Forte said, looking to Cherry as they watched as well. 

"Mm..." Cherry groaned, looking a little exhausted, but was able to watch and sit through the show.

Jenny, Estelle, Eloise, and Felicity backed up out of the way. Kelly was a little nervous at first with her big dance solo, but she was able to do it like Barbie taught her and ended the song with one final pose, making the audience go wild for her and cheer, they even through roses to the girls.

'That was amazing.' Atticus thought.

Kelly looked to her new friends and smiled. Performing in front of a large crowd wasn't so bad after all. They all bowed as everyone applauded for them.

Meanwhile, above the Sewers...

"I'll get my revenge on that Estelle Fudo and her family yet!" the Mouse King snarled as he climbed out from the sewer system. "Or my name isn't Milfred Q. Mouse! I shall come back! I shall--"

There was a large, aggressive meow heard.

The Mouse King turned, shivering as he saw to his size, a very large white kitten. "N-Nice kitty..."

"What is it, Snow White?" Oliver, the orange kitten, came to see his girlfriend.

"Dinner..." Snow White grinned to the Mouse King, licking her lips.

Oliver saw too and grinned to her. "Let's get him."

"Yeah!"

The Mouse King yelled as he ran from the kittens as they were going to eat him until their humans would come back out for them. 

The End?


End file.
